


The Wizard's Apprentice

by cornerandchair



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Post-Eleventh Hour, Pre-The Suffering Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-22 20:04:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10704132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cornerandchair/pseuds/cornerandchair
Summary: Angus is ready for a lesson from Taako planet-side in Neverwinter. Things go awry, but Angus learns some very surprising things about Taako.After some practice Taako and Angus show off their work for the whole Bureau of Balance, and Taako's very special visitor.Kravitz learns some things about the Language of Flowers. Angus plays wingman. Taako matures (a little).





	The Wizard's Apprentice

Angus couldn't convince himself that Taako really wanted him as an apprentice. He is too smart to let himself think that Taako saw him as anything but an annoyance. He knows Taako only trained him in the first place because he felt sorry for him.

Still, as he dresses to meet Taako for a magic lesson planet-side at the quote: “Bright and early… uh… hour of noon.” He couldn’t contain just… a little excitement.

He slides his wand into his pocket and leaves for the cannon area. He greets Avi with a smile.

“Good morning, Sir!”

“Hey there, Angus.” Avi steps back and wipes his forehead. “What’s up, little man?”

“Taako is taking me to Neverwinter, sir! He said he wants to teach me something special!” He starts to bounce on the balls of his feet.

“Huh…?” He raises an eyebrow. “That’s weird. I don’t remember getting anything about ferrying anyone planet-side today. The Director told me not to let anyone go down, actually.”

Angus stops bouncing, the excitement that made this all worth it dies in his chest. “Wh- What?”

“I mean, yeah. And I can’t just go against The Dire-”

“Hail and well met, my dudes.” Avi is unceremoniously interrupted by Taako, announced not only by his voice but a sot click-click from a pair of heels. “Ango, are you ready to be introduced to the wonders of magic?”

“Uh… Excuse me, Taako.” Avi steps forward. “I can’t let you go down, The Director said I can’t let anyone go down planet-side.”

Taako spins the umbra staff around his arm. He purses his lips, eyeing Avi, then Angus. Finally back to Avi. “Listen… I think you’ll see that I actually have The Director’s permission right here.” He pulls out a sheet of paper from his bag, holding it rather purposefully above Angus’s line of sight.

Almost sensing Taako was about to pull some sort of trickery, Angus instinctively casts Detect Magic.

The paper he’s holding lights up with traces of illusory magic, and what’s more, Angus senses a Charm Person spell starting to build at Taako’s fingertips. He’s lying.

Avi stares at the paper. “Well, uh… That _is_ The Director’s signature… So uh… I guess you can go.” He steps to the side. “You said Neverwinter is where you’re going, right?”

Taako smiles and rolls up the paper. “That’s right!” He pats Angus on the back and starts pushing him towards the glass sphere Avi queues up. “Come on, Ango, we’ve got a long day ahead of us!”

“But- But sir, you just-!”

“Shhh! No more talking!” With a rough shove Taako sends him forward into the pod.

“But sir!” Angus protests one last time as the door shuts behind them.

“I’ll explain once we’re in Neverwinter.” Taako says as he sits in front of the lever.

Avi starts the countdown.

“But you just lied to Avi! He could get in serious trouble!”

Avi, not hearing the conversation within, launches the bubble.

“Well,” Taako looks back, “I lie about a lot of things, kid.”

Angus is unsure of what to say after that. He just sits down, contemplating this situation.

The ride to Neverwinter is silent.

Taako pulls the lever just in time to save them from a bumpy landing. They walk into Neverwinter, Angus follows Taako dutifully from behind as they wind through the streets.

Suddenly Taako stops. “Alright, Ango, wait here. I’ve got to go… get something really fast.”

Before he can answer Taako is already walking off.

Angus kicks a few pebbles on the ground. He doesn't know what Taako is trying to accomplish, and he’ll probably never know what's going on in Taako’s head.  
He's actually not sure if he even wants to know.

Angus waits.  
And waits  
And waits  
And waits.

After what feels like an hour he’s pretty sure Taako just abandoned him.  
It wasn’t the first time.

He crosses his arms and paces in a circle.

And waits  
And waits  
And waits.

Then he finds himself rather unceremoniously lifted into the air by his collar.

“Well I’ll be damned! If it isn’t the little detective boy wonder!” A gruff voice booms in his ear. “Angus McDonald! Last I heard you’d disappeared from the face of the planet!”

He twists in the man’s grip and comes face to face with one of the biggest gangsters Neverwinter has ever known: Shane “Lil’” Gill.

“Put me down!” Angus demands. He can smell some sort of alcohol mixture on the other’s breath.

Lil’ Gill just laughs.

Angus goes for his wand, already readying to cast Magic Missile. But as soon as he has it out it's wrestled away from him. Angus, more or less dewanded and out of options, just squeezes his eyes shut.

 _This is it._  
Angus thinks  
_I've been abandoned by my friend and mentor. About to die at the hands of a crook._

He readies himself for a blow.

But it doesn't come.

Instead he hears the approach of a horse- a really _cool sounding_ horse, and Taako.

“Hey there, big fella, would you mind putting him down?”

Angus opens his eyes and sees Lil’ Gill starring behind them. He twists and there’s Taako, atop a rainbow colored Binicorn pulling an old cart.

“Yeah. It's rude to pick on someone smaller than you.” The Binicorn speaks in a cool deep drawl.

Lil’ Gill grunts and pulls a fist back to punch Angus.

“Don't say I didn't warn you~.” Taako raises the umbra staff.

Suddenly black inky tentacles shoot out and grab his arms, which cause Lil’ Gill to let go of Angus.

Angus shut his eyes again as he falls, but he didn't hit the ground. He opens his eyes again, and he’s levitating.

Taako walks over and pulls Angus onto the binicorn. “You okay, kid?”

The relief that floods his system in that moment is almost too much for him to handle. “I- I’m fine, sir!”

“Good.” Taako pats Angus’s head. “Ango, this is Gayrl.” He runs a hand through Gayrl’s spectral mane.

“Yo.” Gayrl nods.

Angus doesn't have time to process the fact that he's now riding atop a talking spectral binicorn, because shortly after that Lil’ Gill stands up and tries to throw another punch.

“Hey now.” Taako raises the umbra staff again and three shimmering missiles fire from the tip. They each hit a different part of the thug’s body.

Lil’ Gill goes down hard.

Taako spurns Gayrl forward and as they pass Lil’ Gill he pauses.

“Listen, next time you decide you want to pick on a wizard’s apprentice, _don't mess with mine_.” He fires off another round of Magic Missile as they ride away.

Angus hadn’t heard anything like that from Taako ever before. “Sir! I… I didn't know you cared!”

He laughs and ruffles Angus’s hair, “Of course I care. What would I do without my number one apprentice?”

And that makes Angus cry a little. He's so genuinely touched by just that. He is just a boy after all and Taako is… well… Taako is like a father figure to him.

They drive out of Neverwinter, Gayrl pulling along that old cart the whole way. And when they reach a clearing Taako hops off Gayrl and helps Angus off. He walks over in front of the cart and snaps his fingers.

The old cart shoots open to reveal what looks like a set.

“Ango,” Taako lifts his staff and taps the top of his head. His usual garb changes instantly to a red shirt, with Taako’s face on it as food floats around him and the words ‘Sizzle it up with Taako’ emblazoned on it. “Today I'm going to teach you about food transmutation.”

“But you said-”

“I say a lot of things.” He pulls his hair back, “Let’s get sizzling, Angus.”

Angus smiles wider than he has in years. “Yes sir!”

A few weeks of training later Taako surprises Angus with a similar shirt to the one Taako had, but in Angus’s size and had ‘and Agnes’ added on in fantasy sharpie, with Taako’s shirt having the same addition.

And just a day or two after that Taako deemed that Angus was ready for a live show for the Bureau of Balance. They practice again and again perfecting the show. It wasn't hard practicing and in all honesty Angus loves it. He learns so much about food and magic. He takes so many notes and memorizes recipes and spells. He's never had so much fun.

Then they put on the live show. They memorized a certain script to use. But Angus is still just a little nervous.

In another absolutely shocking moment to Angus, before the show starts Taako pats his head. “You’ll be amazing, Angus. Think about it like when you’re announcing the criminal in one of your cases.”

That was exactly what he needed. Angus goes out as Taako uses Blink for their big act.

And it goes _great_. 

The second iteration of Sizzle it up with Taako and Agnes was a hit with everyone in the Bureau. The food was delicious and the magic acts went perfectly. 

The show ends.

Angus is shaking. He’s experienced a thrill not unlike solving a mystery but also entirely different. They’re both cleaning up the set and winding down.

A person clears their voice, drawing attention to the door of their little cart.

Taako turns, “Kravitz! You came!” He throws his arms around this tall, dark man in a fine suit.

Kravitz smiles, “I'm glad I did. It was a fun show.”

Taako places a single kiss on Kravitz cheek and pulls back. “Well, it's my pleasure to introduce you to my apprentice, Angus McDonald.”

Kravitz looks down at Angus. “er… Hello, Angus.”

“Hello, sir!” He chirps back. “Taako was talking about how much he wanted to impress you today, sir!”

As Taako laughs, Kravitz almost looks like he's blushing.

“Ango!” He wags a finger, “Don’t go telling my secrets like that!”

“Oh! Sorry, sir!” He gives a little salute, “I’ll be more careful not to fuck up in the future, sir!”

Kravitz’s eyes go wide as Angus swears, causing Taako to laugh harder.

“Don’t worry, don’t worry! I taught him that-” He pats Kravitz’s cheek, then points back at Angus, “- by the way, what did I teach you about using language like that?”

“Never around The Director!”

“Good boy.”

Kravitz cleared his throat again and produces a large bouquet of freshly picked red tulips and some lemongrass. “Taako, I uh… I got these for you. To uh… You know, to celebrate…”

Angus adjusts his glasses. “Those are very pretty red tulips, sir! And I see you put lemon grass in there, as well.” He shifts from foot to foot, reading a mood in the air. “Did you know that lemongrass means homosexuality and the red tulips mean sexual desire?”

Both adults look at him.

“Should I leave?” He asks. He’s only 10 years old, but he’s smart enough to know about _that_. “I mean… Do you two need some time alone, sirs?”

Taako’s suddenly grinning. “Ooooh!” He looks at Kravitz, his arms very subtly wrapping around him. “I mean. I wouldn’t mind that~.”

Something- Angus knows what, but again he’s _ten_ , this stuff is _gross_ \- makes Kravitz yelp with surprise.

“Angus.” Taako looks at him. “I think it’s probably a good idea if you skedaddle.”

He quickly collects his things, “Yes sir!”

Angus doesn’t like to dwell on what might have happened that night, but the next time he saw Taako… he was pretty sure Taako was wearing Kravitz’s button-up shirt.

“I owe my incredible night to you, Angus.” Taako says as he sips a drink of some kind. “Thank you.”

He looks up at Taako, preparing for sleep. “For what, sir?” He’s trying to play it smooth.

Taako smiles. But… it’s a weird smile, Angus has never seen one like that from Taako before. It was very small, and a truly sincere smile. He hugs Angus’s tightly. “For sticking with me.”

He slowly hugs Taako back, his cheek presses into what he’s now sure is Kravitz shirt.

“I know… I’m not the best teacher or person… I’m actually a really _shitty one_. And I know I give you a lot of crap but-”

“-Sir!” Angus interrupts and looks up at Taako. “I respectfully request that you shut the fuck up with that shit!”

Taako blinks down at him, then just breaks down with laughter, pulling Angus into the tightest hug so far. After a while Taako sighs, “This is why you’re such a good kid, Ango.” He pats his back. “Never change.”

Angus nods. “I won’t!”

**Author's Note:**

> The gangster Shane "Lil'" Gill is named for Shane Gill @_ShaneGill_ on twitter.  
> bc fuck that guy (I've known him for about a year now, he's actually super nice).


End file.
